The Build Math Minds Podcast
By Christina Tondevold
The Build Math Minds podcast is for my fellow Recovering Traditionalists out there. If you don't know whether or not you are a Recovering Traditionalist, here's how I define us. We are math educators who used to teach math the traditional way. Flip lesson by lesson in the textbook, directly teaching step-by-step how to solve math problems. But now, we are working to change that to a style of teaching math that is fun and meets our students where they are at, not just teaching what comes next in the textbook. We want to encourage our students to be thinkers, problem solvers, and lovers of mathematics..we are wanting to build our students math minds and not just create calculators. If that is you, then this podcast is for you.
20 episodes
All Episodes
Prioritizing Iterative Observation Over Procedural Math Instruction
Change how you teach math by moving away from memorized steps and toward relational observation. When you embrace silence in the classroom and encourage iterative estimation, students develop better conceptual fluidity. This shifts problem solving from a static task into a process of flexible thinking.
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Replacing Gap-Finding Assessment With Conversational Mastery Models
Standardized testing often hides gaps in understanding because it rewards correct answers even when students use inefficient methods. Instead of just looking for missing knowledge, use clinical conversations to uncover a student's actual logic. This allows for precise interventions that help students master material faster and move beyond the constraints of a rigid curriculum calendar.
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Shifting From Remedial Pothole Filling to Staircase Scaffolding
Traditional remedial math programs often trap students in a cycle of low expectations and missed content. Instead of using a reactive approach that treats intervention like fixing potholes, schools should adopt a staircase model. This method scaffolds access to grade-level material to help students move forward more effectively.
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Synthesizing Structure and Flexibility to Achieve Mathematical Fluency
Mathematics education often swings between rigid memorization and unstructured discovery, which creates a cycle of failure. True fluency requires a synthesis of both. Students need structured frameworks to scaffold their sense-making and drive durable, efficient learning.
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Overcoming Confirmation Bias Through Collective Critical Inquiry
When educators pursue professional development on their own, they often fall into the trap of confirmation bias, which leads them to overlook proven, evidence-based strategies. By contrast, collective inquiry provides the friction needed to challenge personal intuition and master complex, high-impact teaching methods.
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New Math Fluency Standards Integrate Flexibility Alongside Accuracy, Efficiency
Mathematical fluency now officially includes flexibility, moving beyond just accuracy and efficiency to cultivate adaptable problem-solvers ready for novel challenges.
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Virtual Math Summit's Residue: Listening, AI, and Confidence Drive Lasting Change
Unlock unexpected insights from professional development. Discover how subtle shifts in perspective and practice empower educators with confidence, inspire action, and foster lasting student engagement.
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Community Support--Not Information--Drives Math Education Transformation
Transforming math education hinges on community, not just strategies. Discover how shared struggle and collaborative momentum overcome the isolation that stifles lasting change.
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CRA Model's Sweet Spot: Anchoring Upper Elementary Math Comprehension
Upper elementary math requires concrete and visual tools, not just abstract symbols. Skipping these anchors breeds rote memorization and widens foundational gaps, hindering true understanding.
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Incremental Adoption of Thinking Classroom Practices Boosts Teacher Success
Overwhelm derails math reform. Implement one research-backed practice at a time, aligned with teacher goals, to foster genuine mathematical thinking and lasting change.
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Three Pillars of Math Fluency: Accuracy, Efficiency, and Flexibility
True math fluency demands accuracy, efficiency, and flexibility. Develop students who master all three for robust, adaptable understanding.
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AI's Utility in Education: Automating Tasks, Amplifying Human Capacity
AI-generated math lessons fail due to flawed learning progression understanding. Leverage AI for data analysis and communication drafts to free up time for crucial human-centered teaching.
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Shifting Math Instruction From Blame to Actionable Recovery
Shift from "they should know this" to actionable math recovery strategies. Identify precise gaps, build foundational skills into current lessons, and normalize longer timelines to foster hope and progress.
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Critically Evaluate Research Origin and Downsides in Math Instruction
Math instruction requires critical research evaluation; applying reading research can harm students due to fundamental cognitive differences.
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Shifting Math Practice to Sorting and Matching Fosters Flexible Thinking
Transform math practice from rote memorization to mindful learning by using sorting and matching tasks that build flexible thinking and interconnected conceptual understanding.
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Shifting From Equality to Structure for Dynamic Instructional Balance
True teaching balance means strategically adjusting instructional emphasis based on student needs, not equal time. This dynamic "rock structure" approach prevents burnout and fosters deeper understanding.
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Beyond Rote: Cultivating Flexible Mathematical Thinkers
Cultivate mathematical thinkers, not just calculators, by prioritizing flexible problem-solving and conceptual understanding over rote memorization for lifelong cognitive benefits.
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Unlock Multiplication Through Subitizing and Foundational Facts
Master multiplication by transforming rote memorization into conceptual understanding through subitizing and focusing on foundational fact relationships, unlocking a network of interconnected mathematical insights.
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Instantly Grasp Fractions: The Power of Subitizing
Instantly recognize fractional quantities without counting. This crucial skill unlocks deeper understanding of fraction relationships, composition, and operations, moving beyond rote memorization for elementary students.
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Replace, Don't Add: Boost Math Skills in Minutes
Replace less effective math activities with engaging number sense builders to save time and foster deeper understanding, enabling faster learning and flexible problem-solving.
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